Although many of us have fond memories of rattling around in the back of the family station wagon, what we didn't know then is that riding that way is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children aged 14 and under.

Kids these days spend a lot more time in cars than they used to and according to the national statistics, 84% of children in South Africa travel in cars without wearing safety belts.

The problem is, seat belts are designed to fit adult bodies NOT children. Infants and children need a child restraint system that accommodates their size and weight, and can adapt to cope with the different stages of their development. The three-point lap and diagonal seat-belt used by adults is not designed for children’s varying sizes, weights, and the different relative proportions of children’s bodies. And that's where booster seats come in!

A booster seat does exactly what the name suggests: It boosts your child up distributing the forces of a crash over the strongest parts of the body, with minimum damage to the soft tissues. Child restraints are also effective in reducing injuries that can occur during non-crash events, such as a sudden stop, a swerving evasive manoeuvre or a door opening during vehicle movement.

Without a booster seat, an adult seat belt can actually cause injury in the event of a crash rather than preventing it:

• If the lap belt rests on your child's tummy (which it's likely to do without a booster), he/she could suffer serious stomach, liver, or spleen damage in a crash.
• If the shoulder belt rests against his/her neck rather than the chest, he/she may try to move it under his/her arm (where it could crack ribs and damage internal organs) or behind his/her back (where it offers no protection at all against head, neck, and spinal injuries).

These considerations are serious enough that it has become law for every child under the age of 12 to travel with a child seat or booster seat to help avoid serious injury in the event of a traffic collision.

Of course you want your child to travel safely, the trick is to avoid those "we're just going to the grocery store" lapses. Ask yourself, 'If I were in a crash right now, how would I want my child to be riding?'" Then make sure your child rides this way every day!

Child safety seats and safety belts, when installed and used correctly, can prevent injuries and save lives. Unrestrained children are more likely to be injured, suffer severe injuries and die in motor vehicle crashes than children who are restrained.